Abraham Maslow was a psychologist born in 1908 in Brooklyn, New York. He studied at the University of Wisconsin and Colombia University. Maslow is known for developing his hierarchy of needs theory which proposes that people are motivated to fulfill basic physiological needs before moving on to safety, love/belonging, esteem and self-actualization needs. Maslow believed that understanding human motivations was key to progress and reducing conflicts like those seen during World War II. His hierarchy of needs theory is still influential in understanding human development and motivation.

1. Abraham Maslow

2. Background Information
 Born on April 1 1908 in Brooklyn, NY
 1st of 7 children in his family
 Parents were Jewish Immigrants
Maslow loved
learning at a young
age

3. Education
 Studied at University of Wisconsin
 Colombia University
 Brooklyn College

4. “As I watched, the tears
ran down my face. I felt
we didn’t understand-not
Hitler, nor the Germans,
nor Stalin, nor the
Communists. We didn’t
understand any of them. I
felt that if we could
understand, then we
could make progress…”
 -Abraham Maslow 1968
World War II

5. THEORIES
SELF-ACTUALIZATION
(FULL POTENTIAL)
MOTIVATION
GROWTH

6. SELF-ACTUALIZATION
(FULL POTENTIAL)
BELONONGING AND
★ ESTEMEM NEEDS ★ LOVE NEEDS
 Confidence, worthiness
 Giving and receiving love
and affection
✓ SAFTEY NEEDS $ PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS $
✓  Food, air, water
 Security
Main ingredients to the hierarchy of needs

7. Self
Actualization
Esteem Needs
Belongingness and Love
Needs
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs

8. Prerequisites to Hierarchy
Causing
no harm to
others
Freedom
Freedom
of
to speak
expression
Justice Fairness

9. How does this theory translate to
the classroom
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Drive to learn is intrinsic
Goal of learning is to bring about Self-Actualization

10. Resources
 Maslow, A. ‘Motivation and Personality.’ 1970.
 Maslow, A. ‘Toward a Psychology of Being.’ 1968
 http://www.education.com/reference/article/work-Abraham-Maslow/
 http://www.lifecircles-inc.com/Learningtheories/humanist/maslow.html